The seven-time national championship-winning coach leaves the game having spent his last 17 seasons with the Crimson Tide, the school announced Wednesday. Saban informed the Tide of his decision in a team meeting where he cited age and health concerns as the reasoning behind calling it quits, according to 247Sports.

According to the former Alabama head coach, 72, the modern schedule of being the head of a major football program was too much of a grind.

"I don't think there's any good time," Saban said of his timing to retire. "Especially when you're a coach. Because once you're a coach you think you're gonna be a coach forever. But I actually thought that in hiring coaches, recruiting players, that my age started to become a little bit of an issue.